Eating With Angels
by Lady Nightshade
Summary: At a resturant Tsuzuki discovers the truth of Hope and learns that somethings are not always as they seem.


Eating With Angels  
  
Author's Notes: This story will take place after Christmas Shoes and will give some more facts on the "Great War" that is coming up. Well here's hoping you enjoy it. If not oh well no skin off my back.  
  
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The restaurant was ordinary looking and pretty small, it had very few tables and a wrap around bar. The restaurant was currently serving only three people: an old man with a plaid shirt and faded jeans, a middle-aged soda jerk, and a young man in his twenties. The man in his twenties was sitting at the bar in his suit, his trench coat beside him on the bar's surface He had short black hair and piercing purple eyes; he was eating a snack of apple pie and coffee.   
  
Neither one of the men conversed with the other, each in their own little world; the clock ticked away the seconds. Eventually a young woman walked in briskly shaking the rain from her shoulder-length copper-brown hair. The woman was unremarkable in height and build, she was plain, most people would say; however, her presence always managed to grab people's attention. Perhaps it was her eyes, a clear gray, and seeming to hold within them a great wisdom that was centuries old, which was even more peculiar given the fact that girl didn't look any older then twenty. The clothing she wore was just as plain, composed of jeans and a crimson blouse. She walked across the room up to the bar and took a seat next to the man there placing her coat down on the seat beside her.  
  
"Good evening Andy," said the girl taking up the cup of coffee he offered her and pouring in some cream and sugar.  
  
"Evening Rayia," said Andy as he wiped down the counter of the bar. "How have you been the past few days?"  
  
"As good as I can normally be given the circumstances," said the girl.  
  
Andy nodded and refilled the cup of the man seating next to the girl. The man beside her didn't even notice as he was to busy studying the girl and trying to figure out what it was about her that caught his attention. She wasn't a demon, she wasn't a mage, or anything along those lines, and she most certainly wasn't a Shinigami. He watched her lift her cup to her lips before he noticed the cross tattoo in between her thumb and forefinger. He frowned considering something before quickly dismissing the idea and the silence continued onward as the clock on the wall ticked by the seconds.   
  
It wasn't until the second cup that he finally decided to stop searching his brain for what it was about the girl and just enjoy his snack.   
  
"I was wondering when you were going to stop staring at me," said the girl good-naturedly.  
  
"I'm sorry," said the male, rubbing his head. "I couldn't help it."  
  
"That's fine with me," said the girl shrugging her shoulders. "Some people just draw attention for some reason."  
  
"So," he said, after a moment of silence. "Why do you have a cross tattoo?"  
  
"Huh?" asked the girl before looking down at her hand with the tattoo. "Oh, that. I guess mainly because of a poem my mother used to tell me when I was younger."  
  
"A poem?"   
  
"Hai," said the girl nodding. "The poem was about the Angel, Hope, and how she was dragged down to Earth after Michael and the other Angels had pushed Lucifer and his army into Hell. I can't remember the name of the poem since it is several years old."  
  
"How would that inspire you to get a cross?"  
  
"For many the cross is a sign of hope," said the girl shrugging and taking a few sips of coffee. "I guess I wanted something to remind me that hope is still alive and well amongst us."  
  
"Now when we say hope are we talking about a person or the thing?"   
  
"Both I guess," said the female looking thoughtful. "For you see in the poem they were one in the same."  
  
"So what happens?" asked the man curious. "Does the Angel end up in Hell?"  
  
"No," said the girl getting a far off look in her eyes. "She is forever stuck on Earth until she can get back to Heaven."  
  
"And why is she stuck?"  
  
"The Almighty One managed to save her from Hell, but not from Earth."  
  
"I see," said the man nodding and taking a sip of his own coffee.  
  
"Do you truly see?" asked the girl turning to stare at him with a raised eyebrow. "Hope is one of man's most precious gifts, without it man is forever lost."  
  
"That's an interesting philosophy."  
  
"It's not a philosophy."  
  
"Oh?" asked the male really curious now.  
  
"It's a fact."  
  
"What exactly are you trying to tell me?"  
  
"That you and your friends should never give up hope. A great war is coming. You and your friends should be prepared for it when it does come."  
  
Before he could ask her what she meant, a male with light green eyes and light brown hair showed up.  
  
"Tsuzuki," he said, walking up to his partner. "Come on, Konoe-san is waiting for you. You're ten minutes late for a meeting, and Tatsumi-san is going to kill you for wasting money again."  
  
"All right," said Tsuzuki standing up and putting on his trench coat. "It's been a pleasure talking to you."  
  
"Same here Tsuzuki Asoto-san," said the girl taking another sip of coffee.  
  
"Let's go Hisoka," said Tsuzuki heading for the door.  
  
The male that had been identified as Hisoka nodded at the woman who in turn nodded back at him while she smiled a secret smile. Then the two men were gone leaving the female alone with the old man and the soda jerk. Rayia watched the two Shinigami leave until they were out of site from the windows and turned back to the soda jerk.   
  
"I think you managed to confuse him even more then he already is Hope," said Andy laughing. "Or, should I call you Rayia?"  
  
"Very funny Andy," said Hope calmly.  
  
"Seriously, that poor boy is very confused at the moment," chuckled Andy.  
  
Hope nodded briefly while she closed her eyes and taking another drink of coffee. The moment she replaced the mug on the counter top her appearance changed. Her copper-brown, shoulder length hair was now long and blonde, her gray had turned into a dark lilac color, and her features while remaining plain had somehow gained an aura of beauty. The old man stood up from his seat at the booth and joined her at the bar; his appearance had changed as well. He was now thinner and younger looking with brown, curly hair and lavender eyes.   
  
"Are you sure he doesn't know everything?" he asked Hope.  
  
"I am pretty sure he doesn't," said Hope after a moment of silence. "Really, Gabriel, you would think I was only a thousand years old instead of over fifty thousand years from how you are acting. Besides he still looked confused when he left with Kurasaki Hisoka."  
  
"The time is getting closer Hope," said Andy seriously.  
  
Hope looked into the purple eyes of the silver haired male before her and nodded, "I am well aware of that fact brother."  
  
"Are you prepared for it? After all the man is your.."  
  
"I am well aware of the connection I have with him. After all I was there at the time remember?"  
  
"Are you sure you want to do this?"  
  
"I haven't a choice do I? After all, it is the least I could do. I owe him that much."  
  
"Are we still talking about the boy or have we gone on to the other one?" asked Andy.  
  
"The other one," said Hope waving her hand.  
  
"Then, you are aware that such a thing could kill him right?" asked Andy.  
  
Hope sighed closing her eyes briefly, when she opened her eyes again there was a calm determination in them. "He will survive. Of that I am all too sure."  
  
Gabriel sighed and nodded after a moment. "He will survive if he as the will to do so."  
  
"Deep inside he does have the will; he just doesn't know it yet."  
  
Gabriel and Andy nodded then the three of them left the restaurant in three pillars of light; when the lights were gone the entire room was filled with dust, cobwebs, and faded paint.   
  
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Hisoka and Tsuzuki were walking down the street when Tsuzuki stopped suddenly.   
  
"What is it?" asked Hisoka in irritation.  
  
"That woman," said Tsuzuki slowly. "She knew my full name."  
  
"So," said Hisoka.  
  
"I didn't tell her my name," said Tsuzuki slowly. "There is no way she could have known my full name."  
  
Hisoka rolled his eyes and followed Tsuzuki as the older male rushed back to the restaurant only to find it run-down.   
  
"What the hell?!" whispered Hisoka when he caught up.  
  
"Wasn't that restaurant open a few minutes ago?" asked Tsuzuki.  
  
"Yeah," said Hisoka slowly.   
  
"Then what was that all about?" asked Tsuzuki.  
  
Hisoka slowly rubbing the red stone on a silver band around his right wrist that encased the sword, he had a bad feeling about this.   
  
"I have a feeling," said Tsuzuki slowly. "That we will find out more when the Great War begins."  
  
Hisoka nodded slowly and the two men once more began their walk down the street.  
  
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Author's Notes: Well another story that takes place after "Of Ryujin Blood" stay tuned for the final chapter of that story and another one shot story called "Train Stop Angel" Thanks to Lady Kyia for betaing. 


End file.
